Officials Must Remove 7.8 Million Gallons of Water After Man Pees in Reservoir

A 21-year-old Portland, Oregon man who relieved himself in the Mt. Tabor reservoir last Wednesday may face serious criminal charges. The reservoir is one of the city’s main sources of drinking water and, since the water’s now contaminated, officials insist that 7.8 million gallons must be dumped.

According to Water Bureau Administrator David Shaff, removing the water will cost roughly $16,000. He also says that removing it has little to do with protecting Portland residents from dangerous contaminants in their water supply. Instead, it’s the “squeamish factor” that’s led to the decision to remove it.

“Do you want to drink pee?” he asked in an Oregon Live report. “Most people are gonna be pretty damn squeamish about that.”

The young man who’s to blame for the fiasco hasn’t been named, but he told officials he was unaware it was a drinking water supply and his actions were “stupid.”

After reviewing footage from the incident, officials will decide how to proceed in regard to charges.